Instrument for playing organs or harmoniums.



PATENTED JAN. 1, 19 07.

-' J. H. DAWB.

INSTRUMENT FOR PLAYING ORGANS AND HARMONIUMS.

APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 30. 1903.

James H. Dawe FIG 5. a

THE uorems PETERS c0, w

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HENRY DAWE, OF SEAOOMBE, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOPANELS'LIMITED, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

INSTRUMENT FOR PLAYING ORGANS OR HARMONIUMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1907.

Application filed December 30,1903. Serial No. 187,214.

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES I'IENRY DAWE, bookkeeper, a subject of theKing of Great Britain, and a resident of Seacombe, in the county ofChester, in the Kingdom of England, (whose post-office address is 51Poulton road, Seacombe, aforesaid,) have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in In struments for Playing Organs or Harmoniums, (forwhich application has been made in Great Britain, No. 516, dated the 8thday of January, 1903,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object a mech anism which will fit any organor harmonium and by which a non-musical person can play tunes thereon.

The principle of the invention lies in an endless sheet provided withsuitable projections being caused to pass over strikers, which arethereby depressed and which in their turn depress the keys of the organor harmonium. The projections on the sheet are so arranged as to depressthe keys in a similar manner to that done by the lingers. The length orduration of the notes and the time are .controlled by the person usingthe instrument as the same is worked by hand.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will nowbe had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a frontelevation of the instru ment resting on the keys of an organ orharmonium. Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. l with the knob e removed. Fig.3 is a sectional end view on the line 00 0c of Fig. 1. F ig. 4 is adetail view of a striker of the instrument as placed above a white keyof the organ. Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 4, but relates to a black key.Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of one of the sliding supports for the upperroller, shown partly in section.

In carrying out the invention a series of strikers a a little shorterthan the keysl) on the musical instrument are hinged on a hollow rod 0,passing through bearings in the frame A of the instrument at each end.Two rods d slide in this hollow rod and carry adjustable feet (1, whichrest on the side pieces ofthe keyboard. These feet (1 are adjustable bymeans of set-screws d or other suitable means. Some of the strikers ahave hammers a, which rest on the front ends of the white notes, and theremaining strikers a have other hammers a adjustable by means ofset-screws a which rest on the front ends of the black notes. They areadjusted so that the top of the front part of every striker a abutsagainst a roller 6, placed along the keyboard in bearings in the frame Aat each end when the strikers a rest on the organ or harmonium keys I)in normal position.

The bearings for the roller 6 consist of a recess e in the frame A ofthe mechanism, which recess is closed by a slide 6 which passes underavertical metal plate 6 The roller e carries the sheet of prepared musicf around it. The sheet of prepared music is endless and passes around aroller 9 above in, bearings g, adjustable on inclined rods n (shown inFig. 6) by a ratchet arrangement 9 held in its normal position by anindiarubber or other spring 9 The rods n are preferably telescopic, soas to be adjustable for extra-large music-sheets. In this case thebearings g are carried on the rod n, adjustable in the rod n by means ofa collar and set-screw M. For convenience in packing, the rods n aremade hinged at a so as to be capable of being folded over theinstrument, and are held in the upright position-by hooks or otherdevices a", while the roller 9 can be packed in a slot 0 in the frame. Astay 72. is preferably passed through a hole h in all the strikers,whereby the stroke of the striker is limited. Another stay it above thekey board keeps the frame rigid, and the rollers also assist in doingthis. The strikers a have a reverse V-shaped projection b above,preferably covered with tin, the apex of each of which abuts against themusic-roller. The sheet of prepared music is formed of cloth, paper,celluloid, or the like and has projections f of felt or the like,suitably secured thereon, which when they come between the roller andthe key press the latter down. The paper, celluloid, or the like of thesheet can be molded complete with the projections and either be solid orembossed.

In addition to the projections f on the sheet f there may be atime-indicator, as indicated at the time being given in the charactersof staff or old notation, the character just passing over the top of theroller, together with the usual musical terms, giving the time requiredfor the note or notes being played at that moment by the projections.

The mechanism as at present designed embraces three octaves and isarranged so that the first striker a on the left on the instrument actsupon the next F-key of the organ after the lowest base F. It willtherefore be obvious that the instrument, although only embracing threeoctaves will be able to actuate five octaves on the organ by means ofthe octave-couplers. The instrument is of course not limited to anyspecial numberof octaves, the above being given by way of ex ample.

The mode of action is as follows: The apparatus being fixed with itsfront adjustable feet m resting on or fitting over a projectionpermanently fixed on the front ledge of the organ-keyboard and theadjustable feet (1 on the sliding rods (1 resting on the side pieces andits strikers a arranged relative to the keys I), as described, the sheetof prepared music f is placed round the lower roller 6 and the latterinserted in its bearings 6. These are then closed by means of the slide6 The other or upper roller 9 is then inserted in the sheet of music andplaced in its adjustable side bearings g, and these bearings are drawnup till the sheet is tight. If the strikers of the instrument do notfill the space between the music-roller and theorgan-keys exactly, thestrikers or feet are adjusted as required. The organist now blows theorgan in the usual manner and slowly turns the lower music-roller e byknobs e at each end till the entire tune on the sheet has been runthrough, thus playing the instrument, at the same time watching thetime-indicator or notation f I declare that what I claim is 1. Inapparatus for playing organs, harmoniums and thelike, the combination ofa series of strikers having hammers at the front and in the middlerespectively according as they fall on the white keys or the black, andhaving a horizontal perforation h through each striker and a rod hpassing through all these perforations and confining the stroke of thestriker to an amount limited by the perforation h.

. 2. In a mechanism for playing organs, harmoniums and the like, thecombination of a series of strikers having hammers at the front, and inthe middle respectively according as they have to fall on the white keysor the black, and a device adapted to confine the stroke of all thestrikers to the required limited amount, and to prevent them fallingwhen removed from the keyboard.

3. In mechanism for playing organs, harmoniums and the like, thecombination of two frames, playing mechanism carried by those frames, -adevice for rigidly holding the frames at a uniform distance apartadjustable feet on the frames resting on the front ledge of theinstrument and other feet slidably adjustable on the side frames, bothset of feet having screw adjustments as regards height.

4. In mechanism for playing organs, harmoniums and the like, thecombination of the side frames, a lower roller in bearings therein,standard-rods fixed to the side frames having adjustable telescopicextensions adjustable bearings sliding on the standard-rods, and capableof being fixed in any position thereon, and bearings on the ends of theextension-rods, and a second roller capable of fitting either pair ofbearings, with a tune-sheet, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for playing organs, harmoniums and the like, therollercarrying de vice consisting of a hollow standard n, a bearing forthe roller sliding thereon, a ratchet and pawl for holding the bearingat any position and height, a telescopic rod n, a collar and set-screwfor clamping the telescopic rod at any given height, and a secondbearing g on the top of this rod whereby when a short tune-sheet is tobe played, the bearings sliding on the lower rods can be used, and whena long tune-sheet, the upper bearings are used.

6. In mechanism for playing organs, harmoniums and the like, thecombination of a revolving musical device and strikers actuated by thatrevolving musical device, two side members and a spacingtube forming acombined frame and capable of holding three octaves of strikers, twosliding rods fitting into the spacing-tube, sliding with an easy fittherein, and having adjustable feet on their ends bearing on the sidepieces of the keyboard, substantially as described.

7. In mechanism for playing organs, harmoniums and the like, thecombination of a lower roller, a pair of side frames carrying the samewith a pair of rods carrying the upper roller in adjustable bearings,hinges connecting the rods so that they can either stand upright or belaid down horizontally toward each other, and means for locking thehinged rods in position whereby when the rollers are removed, the rodscan be laid down laterally over the machine for packing and be erectedin a moment for use.

8. In mechanism for playing organs, harmoniums and the like, thecombination of a series of strikers a, a tube 0 to which said strikersare hinged, a frame A for the instrument, having bearings for said tube,rods d sliding in said tube, and adjustable feet (1 carried by saidrods.

9. In mechanism for playing organs, harmoniums and the like, thecombination of strikers resting upon the forward ends of the keys of thesaid harmonium, each of the said t ikers having near its forward endahorizontal perforation, a rod of smaller diameter than the perforationspassing through all of the perforations, for limiting the stroke of thestrikers, and a revolving music device for pressing upon the forwardends of the said strikers.

10. In mechanism for playing organs, harmoniums and the like, thecombination of strikers, a revolving music device for pressing upon thesaid strikers, the said strikers each having upon its lower side ahammer which rests upon the forward end of the corresponding key of theharmonium, the said hammer being located near the middle or at theforward end of the striker according as it rests upon a black or a whitekey of the harmonium, each of the said strikers having a blunt-edgedprojection at the very forward end of the top of the striker farthestfrom its pivot and immediately below the revolving device, means forvertically adjusting those hammers which are at the middle of thestrikers and which rest upon the black notes, each of the said strikershaving a horizontal perforation near its forward end, and a rod ofsmaller diameter than the perforations passing through all of theperforations, for limiting the stroke of the strikers.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JAMES HENRY DAWE.

Witnesses:

WM. D. THOMPSON, CHAS. LESLIE.

